24-hour event raises funds, awareness for safety
Sat, Sep 20, 2008 
to del.icio.us
BY SYLVIA DANA
sdana@grandhaventribune.com
ROBINSON TOWNSHIP — It's a fiddler. It's a cat. No, it's a principal.
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Robinson Elementary School principal Jeff Marcus was making good on his pledge Friday afternoon to sit on top of the school's roof for 24 hours, or until enough money is raised to buy a yellow flashing safety light for the crosswalk in front of the school on 120th Avenue.
Parents say a safety light will remind people to take it easy in the school zone.
"People fly by here, sometimes going more than 60 miles an hour," said one parent who has two children who use the crosswalk to attend after-school care across the street.
Although there are school zone signs posted on the 55-mile-per-hour road, drivers don't always remember to slow down to 25 miles per hour during the posted times — before school, lunch time and after school.
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Sitting on the roof, with a tent, a sleeping bag and a snack pack, Marcus said he hopes the event will raise awareness. "It's a pretty small price to pay for the safety of the kids," he said.
Marcus won't sit up there alone. Third- and fourth-grade teacher Matthew Mulvahil has joined Marcus for the 24-hour Sitting for Safety event.
At the same time, the PTA is raising funds for the $5,900 flashing safety light with a coin drive, pizza sale and car wash.
The event began at 4 p.m. Friday and continues through this afternoon.
Breakfast items, including juice cinnamon rolls and muffins are being served this morning, beginning at 8 a.m., while pizza, candy, popcorn and pop go on sale at 11 a.m.
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"This is for the safety of our kids," said parent Megan Rademaker, who has three children who attend Robinson. "We're just going to take responsibility and do it ourselves."
The coin drive has been particularly successful, with almost $3,300 raised by Friday night.
"The family support and support from the kids for this has been incredible," Marcus said.
Fourth-graders Blake Hovey and Allen Rademaker, who were selling candy and popcorn on Friday, said the new light is going to help people to go slower in front of their school. "If we're walking across the street to go to the park, we want to know people will slow down," Allen Rademaker said.
"We've been trying to get this for several years," said Marcus, who has met with officials from Ottawa County Road Commission, Sheriff's Department, State Police and Robinson Township about getting a safety light for the crosswalk. "We haven't found anybody willing to put the light in for us, so we're doing it ourselves."
Marcus said the school will also be responsible for the installation and maintenance of the light.
If fundraisers exceed their $6,000 goal, PTA members said they plan to put the extra cash towards a new playground.
